This section provides background information relates to the present disclosure and is not necessarily prior art.
A pickup truck disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,740,279, which issued Jun. 3, 2014 and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, includes a multi-functional tailgate spanning a width of the aft end of the cargo bed. The multi-functional tailgate is pivotably coupled to the cargo bed so that the multi-functional tailgate is allowed to pivot about a horizontal axis between a horizontal open position and a closed position. The multi-functional tailgate also includes two doors that can be latched together so as to pivot together (i.e., in the manner described above), or unlatched so as to pivot independently of each other.
In the unlatched position, each door can rotate independently about the horizontal axis (i.e., between the horizontal open position and the closed position) and about a vertical axis (i.e., between a vertical open position and the closed position). When unlatched and pivotable about the vertical axis, each door is vulnerable to door sag because the latching assembly does not adapt well to the multi-functional aspect of the tailgate door. The teachings of the present disclosure provide a latch assembly that restricts sag in each door when the multi-functional tailgate door is unlatched and pivoting about the vertical axis.